Project News: 6 May 2008
There is a slight risk of severe storms west of I-35 this evening and tonight. If storms do occur, the phased array radar will be running and forecasters will be evaluating the data.
Important Participant Information
- Operations Plan (.pdf, 1.14 MB)
- PAR Training Materials
Realtime Data Displays
Early detection of rapidly developing hazardous storms requires rapid-scan radar. The National Weather Radar Testbed (NWRT), located in Norman, Oklahoma, collects data from a 9.38-cm, single-faced, phased array radar (PAR) antenna. The PAR supports adaptable scanning strategies and volumetrically scans storms in time scales of seconds instead of several minutes. Such high temporal sampling provides unprecedented opportunity to research rapidly evolving weather phenomena and explore the potential to extend warning lead-time for severe weather.
The Spring 2008 National Weather Radar Testbed (NWRT) Demonstration will run from 14 April through 15 June 2008. To investigate the potential operational benefits of PAR technology, forecasters from National Weather Service forecast offices across the nation will be evaluating PAR data in real-time. This hands-on evaluation will take place 28 April through 6 June 2008. More information about this effort is available in the "Important Participant Information" box.
Another key spring experiment is the multi-function phased array radar (MPAR) demonstration, which will test the PAR's capability to perform simultaneous surveillance of aircraft and weather echoes.
Additional 2008 PAR experiments are described in the 2008 NWRT Demonstration Plan (.pdf, 304 KB).
Recently Published Papers on Weather Surveillance By Phased Array Radar
Presentations illustrating and comparing the rapid-update capability of the PAR antenna to the WSR-88D.
- SLS2006 Presentation: Comparison of Storm Evolution Characteristics: PAR and WSR-88D (.ppt, 17.8 MB)
- SLS2006 Paper: Comparison of Storm Evolution Characteristics: PAR and WSR-88D (.pdf, 943 kB)
- IPPS2007 Presentation: Characteristics of Microburst Events with the National Weather Radar Testbed Phased Array Radar (.ppt, 34.3 MB)
- IPPS2007 Paper: Characteristics of Microburst Events with the National Weather Radar Testbed Phased Array Radar (.pdf, 1.56 MB)
- Microburst time series comparison of PAR and TDWR data (.ppt, 11.9 MB)
This page is maintained by Dr. Pam Heinselman. 
Contact Information:
Dr. Pam Heinselman, Research Meteorologist
National Weather Center, David L. Boren Blvd.
Radar Research and Development Division
Norman, OK 73072
(405) 325-6595; Pam.Heinselman@noaa.gov